


brave enough to be

by frantashope



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Attempt at Humor, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 16:13:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11085225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frantashope/pseuds/frantashope
Summary: Isak met a stranger at the beach in Nice. The man was speaking Norwegian, he was mysterious, extra, and Isak had no idea what was going on.But somehow it all turned out to be complicated.





	brave enough to be

‘The fuck?!’

Gulls flew away with loud, annoying cries, a child dropped his ice cream, fish swam away trying to find a good place to hide, and a girl named Susanne just spilled a bright red cocktail on her prom dress somewhere in Paris. 

And Magnus just woke Isak up by throwing a ball in his face. 

‘C’mon, Isak, we are in Nice, you’re not supposed to lie on the beach all day,’ shouted overly cheerful Magnus from a beach volleyball court.

Isak thought, that kind of is the point of summer vacation, but he knew better than try to argue with energetic Magnus, who could do anything when he’s bored. 

Jonas and Mahdi were standing on the other side of volleyball screen, trying to suppress their laughter but failing completely. Isak just glared at them, sighed and got up from his comfortable, warm spot on the soft sand. The salty water dried on his skin because he was too lazy to go to the showers that were on the other side of the beach, making Isak shiver from the unpleasant feeling; the sunglasses were helplessly broken, and Isak just accepted his fate of having stupid friends. 

He put on a T-shirt just so the sun wouldn’t burn his skin completely, and smiled remembering one fact he forgot to mention to his friends. He kind of had been taking volleyball classes on the weekends. Okay, yes, he was made to go there.

‘Who’s starting?’ he asked. ‘If I’m playing, I want Jonas to be on my team.’

‘No offense, man, but you suck.’ 

‘Thank you, but I know what I do in bed.’ 

Magnus choked on air, and Mahdi clapped Jonas on the shoulder, saying:

‘He’s on fire, you’ve got to, bro.’ 

Jonas changed places with Magnus, who was still processing and looked at Isak with fright in his eyes. They all knew that if Isak sasses them, he sasses hard. 

‘Let’s play, boys,’ said Valtersen in English, dragging the 'y'. 

 

*

 

‘Okay, the fuck is this?!’ Magnus shouted after missing five balls in a row thrown by Isak. 

Jonas was grinning, Magnus was frustrated, and they all were surprised. Mahdi stared at Isak like he said that he hated waffles (which he actually did say when they all were still in Nissen, but Mahdi decided to erase this information from his memory just so he could still call Isak his best friend). 

’25 to 8, we won,’ Isak announced with a smirk. ‘Want to go get cocktails to celebrate?’

‘Stop ignoring the question, you dick,’ Isak opened his mouth to answer but Magnus interrupted him before he could say anything: ‘Without dick jokes, please.’

Isak closed his mouth, and put off his sweaty T-shirt, taking his towel and flip-flops from their spot.

‘Going to take shower, see you at dinner,’ he saluted them and winked.

He was halfway through washing the sand out of his hair when he felt his back burn from someone’s stare. He turned around and instantly found the eyes in question. 

They belonged to a very tall and gorgeous guy with soft-looking hair with few strands falling on his forehead, strong jaw, and full, bright pink lips. He was wearing a white linen shirt with all buttons undone and washed denim shorts. His chest was toned and muscular, but not too much, just to a perfect extent when abs are slightly visible; the wet white fabric was hugging his biceps, and yes, okay, Isak was drooling. 

‘You are very good at volleyball,’ the guy said, and Isak felt so much at the same time. 

He knew the stranger noticed him appreciating the view of the body in front of him, and felt embarrassment finding its way to his cheeks; the shock of that guy seeing him play, that tickling feeling Isak didn’t want to name in his fingers just from hearing this deep, and somehow uncomfortably sensual, voice. He also spoke Norwegian. Like, what the fuck, they’re in Nice. 

Before Isak could say anything in return, the man took one step closer and added:

‘I’ll see you, Isak,’ and just with that, he was gone. 

A woman said something in French to him, which Isak translated as ‘fucking move, you can be dumbfounded somewhere else’. And no, he didn’t know French. 

*

He took his time in the shower, because, well, he needed to, um, think, so when there was a knock on his door, he still had a towel around his waist. 

The boys were joined by Vilde, Eva, and Olivia, and the whole squad was dressed nicely as there was a Flamenco night at their hotel today. Magnus was wearing a white shirt and black jeans, and had his hand around Vilde who was in a black dress with white stripes, and Isak smiled a little at their habit to match at parties. Jonas and Eva, who got back together after 5 years of not seeing each other because Eva went to study photography in London after graduation, and got married a couple months ago, were talking about something behind the others. Eva was wearing a green dress, and Jonas was dressed in all black. Mahdi was wearing a light blue shirt and jeans. Olivia went for a light red dress in which she was comfortable even on the sixth month of pregnancy. 

‘Isak, how are you not ready? You left us first,’ Mahdi sounded surprised. 

‘Bet he was cracking dick jokes with someone on his way,’ said Magnus grumpily, and all girls turned to look at him intrigued. ‘What? I’m not going to tell this story, you were lucky you had your spa day.’

Isak chuckled, and let his friends in so that they could roam around his room and annoy the hell out of him while he was getting ready. 

For some reason, he wanted to look extra nice today, and he refused to accept what his mind was telling him about it. A blue shirt and tight black jeans seemed appropriate, so that was his choice. After drying off his hair and styling it a little bit, he felt confident and excited.

He tried to shut down guilt, confusion, curiosity, and whatever the hell else there was, but it was impossible without a drink. He knew the night was going to be crazy. 

*

The restaurant was on the hotel’s property but a little bit further from the main building. There were places on the veranda, where the stage was, and they found a big table for them, and they could even see the performance from there, even though they were by no means in the first rows. 

Everything was good and nice, the food, the music, the chat, the wine. Isak was laughing Olivia at the biology joke only they could understand, and Valtersen honestly only looked around, like, three or four times. There was no sight of the mysterious guy, and he soon gave up, and his conscience finally shut up. 

He decided to go to a restroom when Mahdi asked Olivia something, so the conversation Isak had was finished. As soon as the door was closed, and he was surrounded by the silence and bright lights, he felt the slight effect of alcohol but he was certainly not drunk, just a little extra happy. He did what he needed, and it was when he was washing hands when the door was opened. Isak looked up by reflex and stopped everything he was doing just as the stranger stepped inside. 

They caught each other’s eyes almost immediately, and Isak was glad to see that the guy was taken aback for a second before he was enveloped in the blue warmth. 

‘Fancy seeing you here, Isak,’ said the man, and Isak probably liked too much how his name sounded when he pronounced it. 

He was dressed in a light pink shirt and blue skinny jeans, and Isak was impressed. Somehow, he looked even better than at the beach.

‘You look very nice,’ said the stranger, voicing Isak’s thoughts. 

Isak snapped out of his trance only when he saw the man leaving the restroom, so he blurted the first thing that came to his mind:

‘What’s your name?’ 

The mysterious guy turned around and flashed him a smile:

‘It’s Even.’

Then he left like it was his purpose for coming to the restroom. 

*

The evening was going fast, it was almost midnight when he saw Even again. They were at the beach party, and Eva was the only one who wasn’t completely drunk, as Olivia and Mahdi left right after the dinner. So, that’s why it was Eva who noticed someone staring at Isak. And he was glad it was she.

‘Look, there’s some guy near the showers and he’s been looking at you all the time we’ve been talking,’ she finally announced in the middle of Isak’s story about volleyball. 

He turned his head, and even though Isak knew it would be Even the moment the words ‘some guy’ left Eva’s mouth, he still felt his heart rate rising.

Even just did some eyebrow movement or whatever the hell it was, and disappeared behind the changing rooms building. 

Isak turned to face Eva, and he had no idea what to say to her. But he didn’t actually need to.

‘Go,’ she said, ‘I’m not going to ask anything right now but tomorrow be prepared.’

He was so fucking grateful that it was Eva who saw this, as she was the only one who knew his biggest secret. 

He was about to leave when she caught his wrist.

‘I hope you know what you are doing but I’ll be on your side no matter what decision you’ll make.’

‘Thanks, Eva. I owe you.’

‘Explanation and details. All details.’ 

‘Okay, I’m done with you, bye.’

Her laugh made him smile but he was shaking with nerves. 

As soon as he turned the corner, he was met with Even’s face so close to his that it was impossible to breathe steadily. 

They stared at each other for mere seconds, and then Isak announced.

‘You look nice too, by the way.’

‘Yeah, I’ve noticed you checking me out.’ 

And then there were soft lips on his. Isak felt himself returning the kiss so fast that he didn’t even notice who kissed first. Even’s hands were on his waist, holding close and tight, and he felt his hands rising up the other boy’s arms to the neck. 

When he tugged the hair on the back of Even’s head, his back met a wall at the same time their hips did. He moaned right into the kiss, allowing Even’s tongue to push its way into Isak’s mouth. 

It was all so hot, so fast, and so good, that when Even pulled away, Isak whined. He fucking whined.

Even just smiled but Valtersen saw his eyes darken with lust, and it made him so oddly satisfied and confident. 

‘What’s your room number?’ Even’s voice was so hoarse that Isak forgot how to speak for a moment. He hadn’t had sex for 10 days, okay?

‘345,’ he finally breathes out. 

‘Yours closer, come on,’ he said taking his hand.

They were not alone in the lift, so that was a little awkward to cover their hard-ons from the same French woman that yelled at Isak earlier that day while relaxing music was playing in the background. 

Even burst out laughing when they exited the lift, and Isak couldn’t hide the smile himself but he asked Even to shut the fuck up nevertheless. 

The mood changed as soon as the door of the room was opened. Isak was pinned to the said door by strong hands as Even’s lips traveled down Isak’s neck but not leaving any hickeys. 

Valtersen found the other boy’s belt and it was when Even bit the skin above his collarbone when the realization came crashing down on him.

‘Even, stop,’ he said so quiet that Even didn’t even hear him. ‘Even, stop.’ 

Even raised his head with worry swimming in his eyes. ‘Are you okay?’

Isak nodded but then shook his head, confusing Even even more.

Valtersen looked up, shut his eyes and announced: ‘I have a husband.’

He couldn’t open his eyes, he was too afraid, but he felt Even’s breath hitch, although the boy didn’t move. They stayed like that for a good couple minutes when Isak finally found the courage to meet disgust in Even’s eyes. 

Surprisingly, there was nothing like that. For some reason, there were hesitation and guilt.

‘I…kind of have a wife?’ it came out more like a question than a statement. 

Isak was shocked, so shocked that his hand slipped from Even’s belt. And landed on his crotch. 

They both looked at it and then at each other. Everything felt like someone turned on the slow motion mode. So when they both breathed out a ‘yes’, missing the part where the question ‘are you sure?’ should have been asked, it felt five times faster than it all happened. 

Even’s lips were on Isak’s, their hands tugging each other’s jeans down. 

 

*

‘Even, stop making noise,’ Isak said sleepily into the pillow.

‘What?’ came the response somewhere near his ear. ‘It’s not me. Someone’s at the door.’ 

Well, the universe certainly has something against him waking up peacefully. 

‘Shit!’ he jumped out of the bed, and Even’s hand fell on the pillow where Isak’s head just was. 

‘As much as I appreciate the view of you running around the room naked, I’d prefer to get some more sleep, then suck you off, and order room service,’ said Even looking at him through heavy eyelids. 

‘Even, shut up, and hide under the bed.’

‘Do what?’ 

‘Hide, do you want my friends to know I cheated on my husband?’

‘Oh,’ there was obvious sadness in Even’s voice but he did get up. 

Isak felt guilty, so he walked around the bed and kissed the boy. 

‘Don’t worry, baby, I understand, we are kind of together in this cheating extravaganza,’ said Even, and then there was another knock on the door. ‘Besides, I always wanted to see the world from under the bed.’

‘You’re an idiot.’

‘Yeah,’ came the response right when Even’s face disappeared.

‘What’s my life?’ asked Isak himself putting jeans on. 

‘A joke,’ said Even.

‘Shut up.’

Even laughed and Isak just smiled, feeling so warm and giddy, even though this morning should have been very awkward. They were complete strangers, supposedly a one-night stand, but it felt so important that Isak was really scared of that thought. 

There was Eva by the door.

‘Good morning, sunshine. I’ve got coffee for you,’ she announced cheerfully and let herself in.

‘Why are you here so early?’ 

‘For the details. Is he good in bed?’

There was a loud knock under the bed, then couple seconds of silence, and then a muffled ‘ouch’. Even looked at Eva, and she looked at him, and then they both turned to Isak. The boy was face-palming and cursing everyone in this room. 

‘I’m Even.’

‘Eva. Nice to meet, you’re hot.’ 

‘Thanks. You too.’

‘The fuck?’ Isak questioned. They both shrugged at the same time, looking at him. 

‘I’m sorry, my legs are too long, and as I have guessed Eva knows about me.’ 

‘Oh, yeah, about that, you’re lucky Mahdi dragged Jonas to the swimming pool.’ Eva said to Isak, sipping her own coffee. 

‘Is Jonas your husband?’ asked Even still with only his head not being under the bed.

‘No,’ answered Isak at the same time Eva said: ‘Yes.’

They just stared at each other but Even was trying very hard not to laugh.

‘It was meant for Isak but I’ve got my answer.’ 

‘Wait, you know about Richard?’ asked Eva amused.

‘Who?’ there was confusion in Even's voice but Isak knew it was fake because he could see in Even's eyes that he knew who they're talking about. Isak looked at him and Even added. ‘Too pretentious, I don’t like it.’

Eva let out a small laugh, and Isak just rolled his eyes.

‘You two are something else,’ the girl said. ‘How else you can surprise me?’ 

‘He has a wife,’ Isak deadpanned. 

There was coffee on the bed and on the floor after that. Isak looked at Even suddenly realizing what he had just said and wanting to apologize but the boy just smiled and winked, repeating silently: ‘We’re something else.’

When Eva finally gained her composure, she turned to Even: 'What the hell? How dare you to cheat on your wife?' 

To say Even was taken aback by her sudden outburst would be an understatement. He looked at Isak asking for help but Isak was shocked himself. He met Even's eyes, and then asked Eva: 'Are you okay? Did you forget I'm a cheater too?'

Eva turned to him for a brief moment: 'Your husband's asshole, and we both know you don't love each other, and I have no idea why you are still together after all the times he cheated on you.' 

'Okay, Eva, enough.' Isak didn't sound disappointed that his friend just spilled all the truth about his marriage. 

'I did love him once, and we're still comfortable with each other, although there's no love, you right. But I don't think we both are ready for a divorce, too much spent together,' Isak said, and everyone in the room knew for whom it all was.

'I'm actually in the same situation,' added Even, and they looked at each other, smiling because they knew what they were going through and there won't be fake promises. Eva saw that nonverbal exchange and decided to keep all sarcastic comments to herself and drop the subject altogether. 

‘Are you comfortable there, Even?’

‘Oh, finally, that’s my cue to leave that hole of a shameless cheater,’ he said, crawling from under the bed when Isak shouted: ‘You’re naked!’

‘Oh, yeah,’ was barely heard because of Eva’s ‘so what?’. 

Isak ignored his best friend’s question and asked her to turn away and shut her mouth too for a couple of minutes. She seemed disappointed but obliged. Isak got up to help Even find his clothes as the boy finally was up on his ‘too long’ legs. Valtersen smiled at him while he was buttoning up his jeans, and Even caught his wrist, planting light kisses on Isak’s cheeks and lips. They were both silently giggling, and Isak’s hands were surrounding Even’s waist as he tilted his chin asking to be kissed properly. They were kissing with smiles on their lips just a couple of seconds when Eva said: ‘Okay, you two are cute.’

Isak blushed and asked how long she’s been watching them, to which she answered with a ‘not long’.

Even let go of Isak and took his coffee from the table. He drank a bit, made a face, and gave it to Isak who punched his arm.

‘You have a great ass, though, Even.’

The boy laughed out loud, bright and cheerful, and Isak couldn’t even pretend he was annoyed with both of them because there was a comfortable, warm feeling in his whole body, running through the veins. 

Isak picked up a T-shirt from the floor and felt a slight pain in his lower back but it was a pleasant one. And for some reason, his mouth decided to live its life at the exact moment, so he announced:

‘My ass hurts.’

‘That sounds like a compliment,’ was Even’s immediate answer. 

It was Eva’s time to laugh, and Isak loved every single second of this morning, despite saying that he hates both of them a great total of 20 times. 

*

 

It was three heavenly good days after when Isak realized he’s leaving the next day.

They were sitting on the balcony in Even’s room, Isak tugged comfortably under Even’s arm, and watching the sunset. 

Even was talking about his last project, and Valtersen could feel passion and love for his work in every single word. They both shared some facts about their lives, and Isak was surprised to know Even doesn’t live in Norway anymore, that he moved to Paris when he was 20 because his internet friend said there was a film studio looking for an assistant. He was at that stage of life when you're ready to take any opportunity just so your life will change even slightly. Well, Even was extra. Small changes were not for him, obviously. It’s been 7 years, and he was an operator now, and quite a successful one. He is married to a girl named Sonja, who he’s been dating since he was 14. Even didn’t say anything about their relationship but there was a small sentence hinting on the lack of happiness. There was something Even didn't said, something important, but Isak didn't want to pressure him.

Isak told him about his work as a surgeon, said that was there he met Richard but didn’t mention him anymore, talked about his friends, about life in Oslo, and about his disaster of coming out as one girl saw him leaving a gay bar on his 18th birthday, and decided it’d be cool to say that she supports him. In front of the whole cafeteria. And then she asked if he would vote for her to be a bus leader. 

‘Even, what are we doing?’ said Isak when they were in bed later that night.

Even took his hand and kissed his knuckles, like he knew what Isak was about to say.

‘My plane’s tomorrow.’ 

They were silent, and Isak started to doze off, when Even said: ‘I’m not going to say goodbye to you, I’ll say: ‘I’ll see you, Isak.’ Even though it’ll be the last time we see each other.’

Isak didn’t cry, there was no point, he knew it himself. They fell asleep with arms around each other.

 

*  
He didn’t wake Even up when he left. 

When Eva asked him when he’s going to get the divorce, he said he’s not going to.

*

**1 year later**

‘Dr. Valtersen, could you come to the front desk?’ 

Isak frowned, he didn’t have a patient for another hour. He collected some things he needed, thinking he could as well check on his other patients. 

At the front desk, there was Ann, talking on the phone, and someone wearing a jean jacket, a beanie and baggy jeans. It’s June. 

‘Hello, I’m Dr. Valtersen. May I help you?’

The man turned around, and Isak almost dropped everything he had in his hands. It felt like he was dreaming because it was unbelievable and because he did see dreams like that. Every single day. 

‘I’m Even Bech Naishem, remember I called you about my problem?’

‘Yes,’ Isak coughed. ‘Come inside.’

*

Isak felt like crying. He didn’t care, he couldn’t think of what he was supposed to say in the situation like that, so he did what his heart desired. 

He hugged Even. As soon as the door was closed, he hugged him like his life depended on it, and in some way it did.

Even was whispering something to him but Isak couldn’t hear him when he was talking in his neck. Isak placed both hands on Even’s cheeks, and the boy said breathlessly: ‘I’m so sorry, Isak, I’m sorry for not fighting for you, I’m sorry for letting you go, I’m sorry that it took me a year to understand I don’t feel like myself without you. I have no idea how it all happened, I mean we knew each other three days. But we never had an opportunity to have a future, you know? And I needed a year to accept that I’m willing to drop everything just for the slight chance to be with you, even though we may not work out.’  
Isak hugged him and Even knew.

That had that type of a relationship, if it can be called that, about which people use to say ‘they’re destined to be together’ and maybe they were and there was no explanation why they were both married in this universe, married to the people they didn’t love and who didn’t love them too. 

They both could feel that there was a way to make this all work, to build a new, happy life with each other. They both knew there is a long way to their happiness. They have to decide what they were going to with their marriages, with the fact that they live in different countries. They would have to know so much personal stuff about each other. They knew the hardest times were yet to come. They knew.

But there was a reason why the universe brought them together.

**Author's Note:**

> hi.  
> it's all over the place and very rushed.  
> but i wanted to write this story too much.  
> i have another work and it's completely different from this. some deep shit there. so check out if you want.
> 
> you can follow me/ask questions/say what you think/just talk to me here: [ Tumblr ](http://jlrkhm.tumblr.com)


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